Kelly Kiernan designed this tee for his brand Cure Apparel THREAD’S NOT DEAD • Jeff Finley X case studies & interviews This is the part of the book that I put down my author hat and let some of my peers tell you their advice and stories. Some of them had specific advice to give while others told stories of their own experiences. I will let them speak for themselves. Case Studies & Interviews 86
Matt Wigham Over the years I’ve seen apparel companies come and go. I’ve seen designers go from no sales to thousands. I’ve seen them evolve from laughable beginners to widely respected experts. Most importantly, I’ve seen them make a living, or even just a few extra bucks, doing what they love. At Indie Labs, each of our sites and services is tailored to help artists in different ways. Big Cartel, our online shopping cart service, has helped thousands of apparel companies get off the ground. Emptees, our website devoted to the art of tee shirt design, has helped designers of all sizes show off their work, get feedback from fellow designers, and make connections in the industry. And our newest service Pulley, which is a way for artists to sell their digital products, is used by apparel designers to sell the other stuff they make, like vector artwork, illustrations, and more. Our work has introduced us to some truly amazing designers, and we’ve seen them build their brands from the ground up. Here are a few things I think are critical to new designers, and things we’ve learned from those who’ve pulled it off. Stay Focused on your Core Business When you’re just starting out as a new business, you’re probably doing it on nights and weekends, with little to no money, and that makes it critical to stay focused on what really matters most to your business - your designs. Don’t worry yet about how you’re going to fulfill hundreds of orders per day, how you’re going to run an affiliate program, or how you’re going to scale your website to accomplish all the ideas you might have one day. If your products suck, none of that is going to matter. There are plenty of people and services that you can leverage to get the ball rolling, so the best thing you can do is create some great products and just get them out there. After that, things will evolve naturally, and if you’re lucky enough to have growing pains later, you’ll be better equipped to handle them. THREAD’S NOT DEAD • Jeff Finley Good photography is the secret sauce When showing off your products online or in print, be sure to use beautiful and consistent photos. Even if you need to hire someone, it’s worth it. You can have the best designs in the world, but they can only look as good as the photos they’re in. Use a solid photographer, great models, consistent cropping, maybe some subtle branding, and your designs will look like a million bucks. “Don’t worry about how you’re going to fulfill hundreds of orders per day... If your products suck, none of that is going to matter.” —Matt wigham, big cartel Promote like a human, <strong>not</strong> a robot Everyone hates spam, and people thinking you’re a spammer can be the nail in your business’s coffin. Find organic ways to connect with potential customers. Try to honestly engage with them, don’t just slap some flashing banner on their website, or send some email with no “unsubscribe” link to the first address you find. That’s just lazy. Growing a customer base isn’t easy, but when it’s done right you can build off of it for years. Stick with it. Building a business takes time. Many of the apparel companies you see may seem like overnight successes, but you’re likely missing the whole story. These companies have paid their dues, and it took them a while to learn what they know, and get where they are today. Accept the fact that you won’t know what you’re doing early on, but keep at it, and look forward to the journey of developing your own style and brand. We’ve seen so many of our customers and friends become successful businesses that I’m convinced you can do it too. The hardest step is the first, so just get started, stick with it, and enjoy the ride. Case Studies & Interviews 87
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